An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Nor will it be unprofitable, upon this occasion, to take notice how the Lord then set bounds and limits to the appetite of man, ⟨p. 468⟩which is so apt to exceed: He forbids several creatures to the Jews, for some of which, possibly, we can give no reason but his Sovereignty, he would have it so; and others were forbidden, because possibly, feeding upon them was not so wholesome for the body of man; and others God did except from the table of the Israelites, because of some qualities which he did not like in them; and for that reason it is conceived the Hawk was excepted. The Jews might not feed upon the Hawk, because she is a bird of prey, and lives by ravening and killing other birds; such was the law among the Jews: and though that law be now taken away,¹ as the vision showed Peter (Act. 10.15.) yet there are few that make Hawks their meat, or eat of them.

Nor will it be unprofitable, upon this occasion, to take notice how the Lord then set bounds and limits to the appetite of man, ⟨p. 468⟩which is so apt to exceed: He forbids several creatures to the Jews, for some of which, possibly, we can give no reason but his Soveraignity, he would have it so; and others were forbidden, because possibly, feeding upon them was not so wholesome for the body of man; and others God did except from the table of the Israelites, because of some quallities which he did not like in them; and for that reason it is conceived the Hawk was excepted. The Jews might not feed upon the Hawk, because she is a bird of prey, and lives by ravening and killing other birds; such was the law among the Jews: and though that law be now taken away,¹ as the vision shewed Peter (Act. 10.15.) yet there are few that make Hawks their meat, or eat of them.

1. 1Dicitur Latinè accipiter ab accipiendo, propter insitam et insatiabilem rapacitatem. Accipiter avis regia, quae plus animo qum angulis estarmata, & quod in quantitate corporis natura denegat, hoc ei invirtute, & adacia animi rependit. Isidor. l. 12. Noctuae à caeteru avibus infestatae auxiliatur accipiter, & bellum partitur. Plin. l. 10. c. 17. Falco sacer diissimè volat, nec deserit ad duarum triumvè, aut quatuor horarum spatium, ac si in aere immotus consisteret. Albert.